Leading this week’s most interesting games is AVP: Evolution, a new entry into the Aliens vs. Predator franchise of video games and the series’ first bout on a mobile platform. Players get to fight xenomorphs from Aliens as the hulking predator (you know, from Predator), or fight predators as the stealthy and powerful aliens. AVP: Evolution looks great and its heavy use of assets from the film franchises will appeal to fans, but it’s only the first of several great games worth your attention this week.
AVP: Evolution ($4.99)
As a huge fan of the Aliens and Predators franchises, especially when the two species tangle in video games, I’ve been having a blast messing around with AVP: Evolution. The game runs two parallel single-player campaigns – one as the sleek obsidian xenomorph, the other as the honor-bound predator – and lets players fight their way through enemies and environments lifted from both franchises. Both alien species handle a little differently, and fans will be pleased at the chance to infect humans as facehuggers and go invisible as predators. AVP: Evolution feels like it has improved since we previewed it, and fans of the franchises will find a lot to enjoy.
Gravity.Duck ($0.99)
Solid controls and well-designed levels are hallmarks of Ravenous Games’ titles on iOS, and Gravity.Duck features 100 of those levels for players to work through. It’s a pretty simple game on the surface; you play a duck and with the touch of a button, you can flip gravity. But puzzles quickly get complex as you start using elements that let you walk on walls instead of ceilings. You’ll also need to wrap your head around some simple but sometimes confusing control changes as you find yourself on different surfaces around levels. Simple to learn but still complex, Gravity.Duck offers a fair amount of challenge.
Real Racing 3 (Free)
You might count Real Racing 3 going free-to-play as a drawback for the series, but on the plus side, the game features a ton of content and there’s a lot you won’t have to pay for up front. Back are the series’ phenomenal graphics and slick approach to racing controls, so you’re going to enjoy looking at Real Racing 3 as much as you might have Real Racing 2. The game features real-life cars and tracks for the first time in the series, and packs some 900 racing events to play through, as well as asynchronous multiplayer you can enjoy with others even when they’re not playing at the same time as you. And while the freemium approach might not appeal to everyone, Real Racing 3 is definitely worth a look when the cost of admission is zero.
1001 Attempts ($0.99)
Retro-inspired 1001 Attempts from Everyplay is another game about flipping gravity, but it’s a little less involved than Gravity.Duck. Instead of solving puzzles, your goal in 1001 Attempts is just to stay alive as more and more hazards barrel across the screen. You’ll need to flip yourself from the top of the screen to the bottom in order to grab hearts to score points and advance, but as you do, spikes, missiles, lasers and other dangerous obstacles will fly across your path. You’ll need quick reflexes to keep up with 1001 Attempts as it ramps up, but its retro soundtrack and flashing colors make it a fun way to kill a few minutes.
King Cashing 2 ($2.99)
Gameplay seem pretty simple at first glance in King Cashing 2. In this role-playing game, your major method of executing attacks on enemies is through the use of a slot machine. Each fight has players attempting to dish out enough damage to defeat an enemy before running out of spins on the machine, and timing plays a role in allowing you to dish out more damage by lining up each individual reel. But the real gameplay mechanics come in the RPG elements, like finding and buying new items and characters you can add to your reels. By customizing your reels, you can change how battles go and strategize, trading high-frequency elements for more damage and vice versa. The simplicity of King Crashing 2 makes it easy to pick up, but also lends to it being an addicting RPG.
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